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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993198">house of light house of darkness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastjeqi/pseuds/thelastjeqi'>thelastjeqi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ben as Ed Warren, Blood, Christianity, Description of deadly wounds, EU lore, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Horror, Luke is a priest, Mention of Murders, Mention of a traumatic event, Mention of minor characters - Freeform, Minor Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Possession, Retelling of the first movie, Rey as Lorraine Warren, Rey/Lorraine is also a clairvoyant, Setting between ‘50s and the ‘70s, The conjuring!au, They’re demonologists, Thriller, mention of suicide, plus star wars elements and warren’s real life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:40:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastjeqi/pseuds/thelastjeqi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p> <span>Ben didn't have the sensory powers of his uncle, his mother, or Rey's, but he felt when something was wrong: the change in the air, the feeling of being watched, and the goosebump on the arms.</span> </p><p> <span>  Now he was feeling all of that accompanied by terror in his wife's eyes.</span></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Soontir Fel/Syal Antilles Fel | Wynssa Starflare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Let's Go to the Movies - Reylo Readers &amp; Writers Prompt Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>house of light house of darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonStreet/gifts">geekyduncan (MoonStreet)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This short multi-chapters belongs to Reylo Readers&amp;Writers’ event called “Let’s Go To The Movies”, a prompt exchange based on first-come first-serve basis and I was lucky enough to get one of my favorite movie prompted by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekyduncan/pseuds/geekyduncan">geekyduncan</a>. I based this story on the first movie of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conjuring_Universe">The Conjuring Universe </a>directed by James Wan in 2013, sometimes following the real case, adding real facts and filling the gasps with fantasy. <br/>
  It was a very fun journey for me and I hope that you’ll enjoy this first chapter enough to follow Rey and Ben’s story until its end in the next two chapters that’ll come in the next weeks. <br/>
<br/>
Follow me on <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/thelastjeqi">twitter</a> and support me on <a href="https://ko-fi.com/blackwaterliles">ko-fi</a>, if you want.</p><p> </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Syal Fel’s hair was no longer blond as it once was. <br/>
</span>  She had spent the entire drive looking at the large strands of grey hair in the side mirrors until they had turned in the driveway and the old farmhouse had caught her attention. </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The so-called Old Arnold Estate had its charm with white aiming and dark roof, long chimneys. And it was in desperate need of maintenance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time since they decided to move, Syal begins to think that spending all their savings, the money from an acting career that barely lasted twenty years, in a house erected a century earlier may not have been a good idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“I want a room for myself”, Davin said as soon as the car stopped.<br/>
</span> “You can’t!” his brother squeaked indignantly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But before the conversation escalated into a fight, Syal invited them to come out and help empty the truck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing she heard before she got her head out of the car was Wynssa's voice whispering to her younger brother: "what a creepy house".</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time it happened was with a friend of hers, years before, helping her put back a bracelet and saw her communion, the opening of the gift, the emotion of her mother and the girl herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sometimes peeking into strangers' lives annoyed her, other times she enjoyed giving a shiver of fear to people she was sure would never see again in her life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“I guess it must have been weird”, she said while she watched the boy, much taller than her, and probably even older, take the keys from her hands and tuck them into his pocket, carefully check not to lose them anymore. “Receive a gift from your father for no reason”, she added. “Did you know they belonged to a girl? I suppose she's not your mother but they look alike. I think your father has a type.<br/>
</span>   They’re nice though.”  <br/>
<span>The boy opened his mouth to say something, his eyebrows arched in a confused expression. But Rey entered the cinema with her friends and said goodbye only waving her hand. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we could resell something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but it would be nice”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Soontir's nose itched because of the dust that he kept lifting by moving the towels that covered the furniture in the basement. Once he had changed the light bulb he could see better and notice how many things had eluded him the night before, when Wynssa and Cherith had fallen down there while playing.<br/>
</span> “Oh, at least we found the boiler”.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank God, it’s freezing in here”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not to mention the bad smell last night…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soontir sighed loudly, stopping checking the boiler to focus on her. “Honey, it’s an old house and it’s been closed for a long time. You have to give it time”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Syal scratched her nose. “You’re right, I’m sorry”, her husband smiled sweetly at her, “I think I’ll go upstairs to make some coffee. Have fun with all of this stuff”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know what you did”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey almost jumped out of her skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wouldn't say Bridgeport is a small town, in fact, maybe it would be better to say that it's one of the largest cities in Connecticut, yet at that moment it seemed very small to Rey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because the boy from the cinema, the one she scared with her vision of his keychain, was right next to her. Out of her church.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guy spoke again: “I know what you did with my dice“, Rey had to admit that he had a nice voice, but a weird face, as if he had not quite grown in his features yet. “I know what you are”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know who I’m too, thank you very much”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you are…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you knew”, she barely looked at him, rolling her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean: what’s your name?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rey”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy leaned slightly towards her: “Well, nice to meet you Rey The Clairvoyant”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just Rey, Gold Dice Guy From The Movie Theatre” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just Ben”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey remained silent watching the crowd descend from the church entrance, the snow on the sidewalk, everywhere but him. Who for a while stayed silent with her, and then said: "Anyway, you're wrong because the dice belonged to my father. The girl you saw gave them back to him. They were just friends”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked at him and decided to let him believe it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jagged Fel liked to consider himself a patient person, difficult to annoy, but after slipping away from a pleasant sleep for the third time because of the cold he began to get impatient.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop it, Chak”, he whispered, tucking himself under the blanket once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was peace for a few minutes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he felt his foot being pulled out of the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chak!” he said louder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time his brother answered in a sleepy and confused tone: “what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop it”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not doing anything”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again under the blanket, Jagged murmured: “sure”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took his knees as close to his chest as possible, and before he could see it, he fell asleep again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Downstairs Soontir was looking for the source of the noise that had awakened him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Muffled and repetitive it was making him insane. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once it was established that no paintings and photos had fallen from the wall, that all the doors and windows were closed, he climbed up the stairs, distressed and with the noise still rumbling in his ears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And there, in the darkness of his bedroom, something hit him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t move. And she wasn’t sure she was even breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Woke up from an already forgotten noise, at first Syal thought one of the girls came to her bedroom but she soon realized that none of her daughters would have reason to wear a gray dress in the middle of the night. <br/>
</span>  And that the head of the female figure was slightly bent as if it were forced to stand like this.<br/>
  With the only light source the moon far from the window, Syal could not see much else, except un-groomed hair, of a lost color.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get out! Get out! I’ll drive you out with death and gloom!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The threat was whispered, slow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the instinct to attack the unknown figure Syal rose from bed in a fast motion, pushing nothing but air she lost her balance and collided with another body, not that of the woman, but of her husband.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syal, what the—“, Soontir startled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry”, she recoiled, “I think I had a nightmare, or a false awakening or something”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still worried he let her go, not prying any further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you in your pajamas?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soontir sat on the edge of the bed, hands on his knees, deep dark circles and half dazed eyes. “I got a call. From work”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have to go?” Syal was now back in the bed, sitting under the heavy blankets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, tomorrow I’m leaving”, he said, “I’ll be back in a week” he reassured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Syal sighed, she was used to it and she spent more time without him in the past, yet, this time, in that house, she wanted to complain, to </span>
  <em>
    <span>beg</span>
  </em>
  <span> him to stay. To not leave her alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your aura is very bright”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey stood silently, lips clenched in a hard line and her gaze full of judgment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben gave her a defiant smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “Your aura </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> very bright”, stretched out on the table to get the nearest cup of tea, “but also very </span>
  <em>
    <span>confusing</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And what does that mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It means I want to know what happened in your life and what’s going on in your head”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Ben fidgeted in his seat, imitating her position putting his feet in her chair, near to her.  <br/>
</span> She had to admit that in his brown sportcoat, lighter turtleneck knit shirt and pattern trousers he wasn’t a bad view. <br/>
<em><span>  Definitely </span></em><span>he wasn’t a bad view. <br/>
</span><span>  “I don’t know how to answer you”, he started, “Raised in a house with a family always busy, maybe </span><em><span>too</span></em><span> busy. My mother and uncle are like you – excluding clairvoyance – and the house where we lived before was haunted and I think all this has made our lives even more complicated”. He sipped his tea, frowning and lost in his thoughts for a few seconds, “I lived with my uncle for a while because things were chaotic back at home. So I think I have a little bit of repressed anger, and conflicted feelings about me and our relationship—”, Ben put the cup back on the table and concerned asked her: <br/>
</span> “Something is wrong? Ar– are you seeing something?” </p><p> </p><p><span>Rey reflexively answered with a soft “</span><em><span>no</span></em><span>” but she couldn’t stop watching the tiny cup in her hand with disbelief. <br/>
</span>  She was ready to taste the bitterest tea ever, also ready to put her best face on it and not grimace or complain because Ben was kind enough to invite her over and to offer her tea, and she didn’t want to be rude but when she took the first sip it was still too hot on her tongue but sweet at the right point: “the tea is perfect”.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks?” Ben asked, “I know you like it so sweet that it’s basically melted sugar”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If she had to be honest with herself, she didn't remember saying how she preferred to drink tea, but if they were there it meant one thing. <br/>
</span>
  <span>  “You listen to me”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben was more confused than ever. “And you are surprised because…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The point was that Rey didn’t know why. </span>
</p><p><span><br/>
  She never had a real family, siblings to talk to, friends who lasted more than a year or with whom she had enough confidence to do so.<br/>
</span> Her Mary Jane strap shoes heels were noisy against the floor when she slipped her legs from Ben's chair, and the ceramic of the cup chattered with a high-pitched sound when she put it on the table violently.<br/>
  She should have talked about it, asked, or at least created a little atmosphere so that Ben would take the first step but Rey decided to shoot her shot by taking him by that ridiculous double breasted coat and fill the distance between them.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kissing Ben was uncomfortable because of the position – knees against knees and curved backs – and at first it was barely a kiss. They were more than lips pressed forcefully against each other. Rey only relaxed when Ben tilted his head and slipped behind the nape of his neck, under his hair, deepening the kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>  Only then she sighed and she slipped her fingers through his hair making her shiver both.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p><span>A week later Syal was at the beginning of the basement stairs trying to see in the darkness the source of the noise that had awakened her.  <br/>
</span>  Dry and loud as a clapping of hands she at first thought it was from her kids, still awake and playing but when she made her way downstairs from her bedroom she couldn’t see or hear anything else. </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When something pushed her down the stairs she did not even have time to shout.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you looking at?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jagged was sitting cross-legged on his bed. The terror in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pointed a finger at the dark spot where he was looking, trembling, and in a shaken voice murmured: "there is someone back there”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No Jag, nobody’s there”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Jagged knew otherwise. Waking up again because someone was pulling his foot, he was ready to throw a pillow at his brother to tell him to stop when, stuck in the movement, he felt he was being observed. And he saw them there, that figure in the shadows, unclear if they were a too tall kid or a short adult.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chak sighed and came out of the blankets with heavy steps to the door but before he could open her mouth and say, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>there's no one, stop trying to scare me</span>
  </em>
  <span>" the door slammed out of the way, closing itself by its own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jagged started screaming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>  —</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Davin opened his eyes to the first bang, gasping.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cherith”, he calls with his voice still hoarse because of sleep. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cherith</span>
  </em>
  <span>”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But his younger sister continued, as if it were nothing, to bang her head against the closet.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Davin got up in a fluid motion and gently shrugged her shoulders, and gently led her to the end of the bed, making her sit and then gently shaking her: “Cherith, wake up”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>The brunette girl opened her eyes, adjusting your eyes to the environment and light. "Is everything okay, honey?” <br/>
</span>  Cherith nodded feebly, apologizing for waking him up. Davin kissed her forehead and told her to go to bed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In that moment they heard a hiss and saw the figure above the closet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p><span>Soontir couldn't wait to get home, kiss his wife gently and tuck into bed, and to sleep at least eight hours.<br/>
</span> But the situation before his eyes was quite different, strange. </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The lights inside were still on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he got out of the car he could only hear screams.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>He dropped everything and ran toward the voice. Inside he found all their frames broken on the floor, pieces of glass scattered everywhere. <br/>
</span> Freed Syal from the basement, where she was desperately trying to open the door in vain, screaming and to be heard by the boys upstairs; they both ran toward them.<br/>
 Syal opened the door of Jagged and Chak’s bedroom, and the boys hugged her, crying and scared.<br/>
 Soontir, instead, was with Davin and with a Cherith who kept moving as if she was trying to take off something, an invisible force, rolling on the ground and screaming. With Davin's help, they forcibly stopped her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All awake, frightened, crying and hugging each other in the hallway that connected all the bedrooms an angry Soontir asked: “what the fuck is happening here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey loved doing lectures at universities and colleges. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She liked to see how young minds were intrigued by their work and parapsychology. And she had a lot of fun using her clairvoyant powers with those who were more skeptical.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what are you guys? I mean, what do people call you?” a student asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ghost hunters”, Ben said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kooks”, Rey answered at the same time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole room laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Demonologists’ is probably the right word for us”, Ben explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But we prefer to be known simply as Ben and Rey”, she said, “you know, because we’re humble” she winked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The audience laughed again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose was approaching their car with a woman behind her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ben, Rey”, she caught their attention, “This lady would like to talk to you”. And then Rose left, smiling at the blonde woman who thanked her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello”, Rey said cheerfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman in front of them was groping and playing with her fingers. “H– Hi”, she said. “Something scary is going on in my house, could you come and take a look?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben sighed, “It’s late and we're away from home. We could–“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve six children and they’re terrorized to death”, the woman was begging them, “I'm afraid that anything around our house will get even more violent. Please. Come”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben opened his mouth again but Rey stopped him: “Can we talk a second?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>He closed the car door and they moved to the other side, the lady looked elsewhere to give a semblance of privacy. <br/>
</span>  “Do you remember what you said to me on our wedding night?” Rey asked, serious. <br/>
 “Can we do it again?”<br/>
 She did her best to be serious but couldn't hide that she was smiling. “After that”.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben is between her legs, embracing her hips and with his face on her stomach, peppering kisses there and here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God brought us together for a reason”, he broke the silence with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn't name God right now if I were you”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You weren't of this idea half an hour ago” he kissed his way slowly, kissing the ribs, the sternum, her collarbones and then her neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was asking Him to give me the strength”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckled on her skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would be the reason you brought us together?” she asked, encircling his shoulders with her arms and gently tapping her fingers at the base of the neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To do something together” he said, punctuating on his elbows and looking straight into her eyes, "if I have to be honest– I don't know. I just know I don't want to be a soldier or a cop anymore. I don't want to stay away from you any more than it is due and I think violence is not the right answer”, he moved his hair from his eyes, “I think we should do something that positive. For us and the others”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could read people’s hands and tell them they’ll be rich and find their soulmates soon”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben slapped her thigh making her giggles: “Don’t mock me”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey grinned and they remained silent, enjoying the sound of their breath for a while.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you really read people’s hands?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No Ben, I can’t”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door was opened by a tall man with black hair and brown eyes. He shook both of them and introduced himself as Soontir Fel and invited them in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”, Rey squealed, “How many you are!” and she moved to meet Fel’s children, bopping the nose of the youngest one, making him smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blonde woman, called Syal, said: “We all sleep in the living room because it's warmer, at night this house is freezing. And there's always a smell of rotten meat” </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Ben glanced at Rey but she was too far, walking into the room. <br/>
</span> He tried to open a door at his left, to find it closed with some rubber bands.<br/>
  “It's so  the doors don't bump at night, otherwise it goes on all night." And he imitated the sound by banging his hand on the wall.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"In series of three?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now was Rey that was looking at him, back to his side. “Is it a problem if I go around the house?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Syal and Soontir answered together that was not, and explained quickly where to find what. She started by going upstairs, slowly, watching each item on the walls and every room.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ben stood with the family, talking to them. “Do you know who lived here before you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, we bought it at a bank auction”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben nodded, silently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He found Rey at the beginning of the pier, mirroring herself in the lake at the back of the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it, sweetheart?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t answer, she stiffened instead and turned to face him. Her eyes pointed to a branch, above his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Ben didn't have the sensory powers of his uncle, his mother, or Rey's, but he felt when something was wrong: the change in the air, the feeling of being watched, and the goosebump on the arms.<br/>
</span>  Now he was feeling all of that accompanied by terror in his wife's eyes. </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We think your home needs an exorcism”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An exorcism?” Soontir echoed, confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes”, Rey answered, “This house is teeming with spirits, but there is something more evil. There's a lot of hate, and this happens when there's demonic activity”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Syal gasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw this dark entity, it was near you” Rey vaguely pointed to Soontir,  “when I entered, and among the kids, and finally, on the lake”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben continued: “If you agree, we will come back here, with our team, and gather the evidence to send to the Vatican, so that we can get permission to practice exorcism”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll do it?” Soontir asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, we're not allowed to”, he explained, “a trusted priest will do it”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soontir and Syal looked at each other, and short of other options gave permission to start working.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I'm going to get the recorder in the car” and then Ben left the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Ben Solo. It’s November 1st, 1972. I’m sitting here with Syal Fel who, with her family, has been experiencing supernatural occurrences”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at the woman in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, go ahead”.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p> <span class="u">
    <strong>STAR WARS</strong>
  </span> </p><p> <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Soontir_Fel">Soontir Fel</a> | <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Syal_Antilles_Fel">Syal Fel</a> | <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Davin_Fel">Davin Fel </a>

<a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chak_Fel">Chak Fel</a> | <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jagged_Fel">Jagged Fel</a> | <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Cherith_Fel">Cherith Fel</a> 

<a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wynssa_Fel">Wynssa Fel</a> | <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Cem_Fel">Cem Fel</a> 

 <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Han_Solo%27s_dice">Han Solo’s dice</a> </p><p>  <span class="u"><br/>
<strong>THE CONJURING CANON</strong><br/>
</span></p><p><span class="u"></span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_and_Lorraine_Warren">Ed and Lorraine Warren</a> (<a href="https://www.google.it/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/lorraine-warren-dead.amp.html">bonus</a>)</p><p>  <a href="https://the-line-up.com/perron-family">Perron’s real case</a></p><p>Story’s title come from Andrea Perron’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10883896-house-of-darkness-house-of-light">book</a> </p><p>Chapters titles come from Ed Warren stages of possession<span class="u"></span><strong></strong><br/>
<br/>
OTHER</p><p><span class="u"></span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairvoyance">Clairvoyance</a> </p><p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(paranormal)">Auras</a> </p><p>  <a href="https://vintagedancer.com/">Outfits references</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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